Hoist winch



Sept. 11, 1951 Filed Feb. 21, 1950 H. B. NELSON HOIST WINCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. #00452 6. /v Zia/V H. B. NELSON Sept. 11, 1951 HOIST WINCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 21, 1950 mm w mm P m M M W M 0 w J z Patented Sept. 11, 1951 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOIST WINCH Homer B. Nelson, Vandalia, Ohio Application February 21,1950, Serial No. 145,517

2 Claims. (Cl. 254-467) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a hoist winch and is particularly adapted for loading bundles, boxes or similar packages into an aircraft.

The embodiment of the invention herein shown and described is sufiiciently light in weight to be carried about by one man, and, at the upper end, has clamping means whereby it may be removably attached to the conventional rail which extends longitudinally midway of the width and close to the ceiling of the fuselage. The lower end of the hoist, when in operative position is about as high from the floor of the fuselage as half the operators height, and carries the manually operable mechanism for clamping the device to the rail, for raising or lowering the load, or for locking it in the raised or any intermediate position.

An object of the inventionv is to provide a device of this character which is extremely light in Weight, simple and inexpensive in construction and effective in operation.

I attain this and other objects and advantages in the mechanism hereinafter shown and described with reference to drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hoist showing the mechanism for clamping it in the operative position.

Fig. 2 is a portion of a rear elevation taken to an enlarged scale, part being in section, showing the gearing of the cable winding mechanism.

Figs. 3 and .4 art top and side elevations respectively of the crank used for raising the load, the view being drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a partial. section drawn to an enlarged scale through the load retaining mechanism the view being taken at 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at 66 of Fig. 2 showing a detail of the cable winding mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken at l'! of Fig. 1 showing the locking lever used for locking the rail clamping mechanism.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section taken at 8-8 of Fig. 1 showing a detail of the clamping mechanism operating rod and its bearing.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

. In the apparatus herein shown as an embodiment of my invention, an elongated tubular member ID is provided at the upper end with a bracket 12 and at the lower end with a housing 2 14. The bracket l2 and housing I4 are each provided with a cylindrical end portion l6 which is preferably closely fitted to the inside of the tubular member l0 and fixed therein by transverse bolts 18.

The bracket 12 rotatably supports the sheaves 20 and, at the extreme end, is provided with an integral hinge ear 22 which rockably supports a rail clamping lever 24. Above the hinge car 22 the bracket l2 carries a stationary clamping pad 26 which may be engaged as shown in phantom by a pad 28 which is hinged at 30, thereby to adjustably grip the rail of the airplane fuselage as indicated in the drawing.

Hinged at 32 to the lower end of the clamping lever 24 is a clamp operating arm 34, the lower end of which is hinged at 36 to the upper end of the clamp operating rod 38. Bronze guide blocks 40 (see Fig. 8) for the operating rod 38 are adjustably held by screws 42 in the band 44 thereby to permit'an aligning of the blocks to minimize friction of the rod in the blocks. Bands 44 are fixed against longitudinal movement on the tubular member Ill by the screws 46.

The lower end of the operating rod 38 is secured by a pin 48 (see Fig. 2') to the hub of the band 50. The band 50 is bifurcated to admit the clamping handle 52. A clamping block 54 (see Fig. 7) on one side is concaved to fit the tubular member ID and on the other side is grooved to fit an eccentric cam 56 formed on the end of the handle 52, whereby turning of the handle about the axis of the operating rod 38 looks the band 50 against axial movement on the tubular member [0. The band 50 is not otherwise fastened against longitudinal movement on the tubular member In, whereby when the handle 52 is in the central position shown in Fig. 7, it may be used to slide the band 50 axially on the tubular member Ill thereby to operate the rod 38, arm 34 and lever- 24 to clamp the device onto the rail.

The housing I4 covers the toothed side of th gearing 58 through which the drum 60 is rotated by the crank 62 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4). The gearing 58 comprises an internal gear 64, the teeth of which consist of a series of circumferentially spaced round pins 66 nonrotatably supported by and between two axially spaced flanges 68 and 10'.

The drum may be integral with the internal,

in driving engagement with the pins 66 of the gear 64. A spool-like crank connecting member Tl which carries an annular groove I9, cross drilled at four places as at 8I for engagement of the crank plunger as hereinafter described, is fastened to the shaft 12 by a pin 83.

A second shaft 18 is preferably nonrotatably fixed in a hub of the housing I8 and runningly fitted into a bearing sleeve 80 which is press fitted into a hub of the internal gear 64. A nut 82 prevents axial movement of the gear 64 oif the shaft. Shaft 18 provides rotative bearing for the internal gear 64 and the drum 68.

In order to hold the load suspended at any desired height, a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism 84 is provided (see Figs. 1 and 5). Mechanism 84 comprises a shaft 86 having rotative bearing in a hub of the housing I 8, a pawl 88 fast on the shaft 86 inside the housing, and a thumb disengaging latch 98 fast'on the shaft 86 outside the housing by a pin 82. The swingable end of the pawl 88 is fashioned to fit between adjacent pins 66 of the internal gear 64, whereby the same pins 86 serve as ratchet teeth as well as gear teeth. A torsion spring 94 normally holds the pawl 88 engaged with the pins 66.

A cable 96 has one end attached to the drum 68 by a fastener 88 then is passed over the. sheaves 28 down to the link I88 which holds the hook I82.

The crank 62 comprises a casting I84, bored at I88 to receive the crank engaging member 11 on the shaft I2 (see Fig. 2). Guide lugs I88 and H8 are provided in the casting I84 for the crank engaging plunger II2 which is biased by the spring II4 for engagement in the openings 8! in the crank connecting member I'I.

Held on the tail end of the plunger II2 by a nut H6 is a hub II8 which has a crank lockout handle I28 extending therefrom, and formed in one side of the casting I84 is a T slot I 22 through which the crank lockout handle I28 extends. If the lockout handle I28 is turned about the axis of the plunger II2 clockwise (viewed from right to left) as far as it will go, the spring H4 will seat the plunger II2 in the groove I9 (see Fig. 2) and if and when the plunger II2 becomes aligned with one of the holes 8| by relative rotation between the crank 62 and the crank connecting member Tl, the spring II 4 will force the plunger into cranking position.

In the position shown in Fig. 4, the plunger II2 extends into the annular groove 19 but not into one of the holes 8|. crank connecting member Tl may rotate freely in the bore I86 of the crank 82 without turning the crank. A shallow indentation I24 in the side of the T slot I22 maintains the lockout handle I28 in the position shown. In order to remove the crank 62 completely from the connecting member TI the lockout handle I26 must be drawn leftward in the upper part of the T as far as it will go. A rotatable handle I26 on a stud I28 which is fastened in the freeend of the crank casting I84 by a pin I38 provides for manual rotation of the crank.

In order to hold the cable 96 closely to the drum 58 to facilitate level winding, a spring tension device is provided which is supported on a stud I32 in the side of thehousing I4. The spring I 34 of this tension device is made of a strip of relatively thin sheet sprin steel formed as at I38 around the underside of the stud I32 the ends extending upwardly in V fashion as at In this position the 4 I38, Fig. 6, the extreme end being curled as at I48 to support the shafts I42 of the small rollers I44. The underside of the v is transver'sely slit as at I46, Fig. 2, and formed upward as at I48 whereby the portion I48 of the bottom of the V lies on the upper side of the stud I32 and the portions I36 lie on the underside of the stud I32 and the rollers I44 are yieldably held in the position shown which allows space between the rollers I44 and the drum 68 for the cable 96.

In operation, the lookout handle I28 (see Figs.

3 and 4) is raised to the top of the T slot then drawn leftward until the plunger II2 is completely withdrawn from the bore I86 in which position the bore of the crank 62 may be pushed over the connecting member 11 and the lockout handle released so that the spring I I4 may enter the plunger II2 into one of the four holes 8I when the plunger becomes aligned with either of them. A handle I58 (see Fig. 1) is provided for steadying the hoist when cranking is being effected. In lowering a load, the lockout handle I28 may be released to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the drum 88, gearing 58 and connecting member 11 may rotate freely without turning the crank 62.

To clamp the apparatus in position on the aircraft rail, the operator lays the pad 26 against the forward face of the rail, sees that the handle 52 is in the straight-out position, raises thehandle 52 to swing the lever 24 to the clamping position shown in phantom in Fig. 1, then turns the handle 52 about the axis of the rod 38 to lock the parts in the operative position.

When the apparatus is clamped in the opera-. tive position shown in Fig. 1, the tubular member I8 assumes an angle of approximately thirty degrees with the vertical, which together with the fact that the housing I4, crank 62 and handle I58 are then about half an average man's height from the floor upon which the operator stands, puts the operator out of the path of the bundles or boxes being lifted. This is one of the valuable features of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1

l. A winch hoist for storing bundles in an aircraft, which comprises, in combination, a bracket containing a clamping mechanism at the upper end which is adapted for gripping the conventional rail of an aircraft fuselage, a housing containing a cranking mechanism at the lower end and a cable drum adapted to be rotated thereby, a tubular column extending from the bracket of the clamping mechanism downward at an angle with the vertical between twenty-five and thirty-' five degrees to the housing of the cranking mechanism, the cranking mechanism being substantially as high from the floor of the fuselage as half the height of an average person, a clamp operating arm hinged to the clamping mechanism, a clamp operating rod alongside said tubular column operatively hinged to the clamp operating arm, guide means for said clamp operating rod carried by said column for enabling longitudinal movement of said clamp operating rod, a clamp operating and locking handle fast on the lower end of said clamp operating rod movable upward for raising said clamp operating rod for closing said clamping mechanism and rotatable for locking said clamp. operating. rod in t..e raised position, a pin gear rotatable within said housing rotatably connected to said drum, a pinion in constant mesh with said .pin gear, a: crank removably secured to said pinion for'roter tion thereof, a handle extending from said housing for steadying the device while cranking, a pawl spring-biased to engage the pins of said gear to compose a ratchet of said gear, manual means for tripping said ratchet, friction means to tauten a cable as it is being wound on said drum, and a lifting hook at the free end of said cable.

2. A winch hoist for storing bundles in the fuselage of a carrier, which comprises, in combination, a bracket, a clamping mechanism at the upper end of said bracket, said clamping mechanism being adapted for gripping an rail within said carrier, a housing at the lower end of the hoist, a cranking mechanism and a cable drum supported by said housing, said drum being adapted to be rotated by said cranking mechanism, a tubular column extending from the bracket of the clamping mechanism downward at an angle of approximately thirty degrees with the vertical to the housing of-the cranking mecha anism, the cranking mechanism being substantially as high from the floor of the carrier as half the height of an average person, a clamp operating arm operatively connected to. the clamping mechanism, a clamp operating rod alongside said tubular column operatively connected to the clamp operating arm, guide means carried by said column for enabling longitudinal movement of said clamp operating rod, a clamp operating elevated I and locking mechanism fast on the lower end of said clamp operating rod for raising said clamp operating rod for operating said clamping mechanism, a pin gear rotatable within said housing operatively connected to said drum to rotate therewith, a pinion in constant mesh with said gear, a crank removably secured to said pinion for rotation thereof, a pawl spring biased to engage the pins of said gear to compose a ratchet of said gear, manual means to rotate said ratchet and friction means to tauten a cable as it is being wound on said drum, and means at the free end of said cable for attaching a load.

' HOMER B. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 277,802 Stanley et a1 May 15, 1883 287,198 Vance Oct. 23, 1883 860,536 Ellingham July 16, 1907 1,018,080 Reston Feb. 20, 1912 1,861,937 Philips June 7, 1932 2,236,732 Oberhoffken Apr. 1, 1941 2,284,532 Napier May 26, 1942 2,495,804 Berchtold Jan. 31, 1950 

